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It’s important that we pay attention to the Bible’s prophetic passages and study God’s plan for the future. Though we won’t know the date, time or hour of our being caught up to meet the Lord in the sky or Jesus’ Second Coming, we can be aware of all that is going on around us so that we are living the life God intended for us in Christ. Our first priority as the church is not to correctly connect all the political and social dots of world happenings, but to be a prophetic witness to the hope of a world remade according to the Christ. So let's ponder and discuss and maybe even disagree with each other, in love, about futuristic terms like Rapture and Tribulation and Second Coming ... Join us Wednesday March 20th @ 7pm for an interactive conversation about the 'End Times' #Pkes#MetroLifeChurch#MinistryinMotionDIRECTIONS 🚦

What do you do when something really rattles you, when your daily routine, when your mind, is confused and unsettled? Together this Lent we are journeying with Jesus to the cross; then from the cross to the grave and ultimately from the grave to the sky… But even during the beauty which is Lent, our lives can get rattled. Ranging from annoyances to simple delays to the worst a person could contemplate, like the loss of a loved one or the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, disrupted, ruffled lives, threaten our journey, our peace even our identity and homeostasis. When we experience disruptions of any kind, we naturally, almost automatically, seek to recreate a consistency that was present before the unsettling occurred. Maybe we need to learn to embrace these disturbances and give them some space. Ugh. Character after character in both the Hebrew and Greek Testaments encountered God, and it wasn’t unheard of for Him to jazz-up their lives. What we do when the Lord of Hosts inter…

Some of us long for Jesus to return and heal everything; While others are looking forward to him coming back and kicking some unrepentant ass. Is this accurate or just craziness? Join us Wednesday March 13th @ 7pm for an interactive conversation about the 'End Times' #Pkes#MetroLifeChurch#MinistryinMotionDIRECTIONS

During Lent we are journeying with Jesus: a triumphant entry, his death, burial and ultimately his resurrection.Like so many non-orthodox Christians, my view of Lent has been tarnished by evangelical teachings claiming that the time leading up to paschal season is not really all that relative; Lent is not found in the New Testament; that it is dogmatic. It’s true, the Lenten period is not biblical; it can often seem like an empty ritual; it can be misunderstood as a season to earn God’s favor by good intentions or good works (this thinking is a theological problem for a later discussion). The 40 days of Lent is usually associated with“giving something up” – luxuries like meat, sugar, or social media. It’s almost like a New Years Resolution reboot - I didn’t accomplish something in January, so now I’ll try again, but with a spiritual spin. Lent offers us so much more than a redo or abstention. The forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter [not including Sundays] affords us space for …

Apollo Creed; Assassin’s Creed or Apostle’s Creed: Which Do You Know Best? Personally I’m much more familiar with the Apostle’s Creed versus Apollo Creed, a fictional character from the Rocky films, played by Carl Weathers. I know little to nothing about the Assassin’s Creed, an action-adventure video game set in Ancient Egypt near the end of the Ptolemaic period (49–47 BCE). The Apostle’s Creed, is a series of statements about our basic Christian beliefs. The term ‘creed’ comes from the Latin credo, meaning I believe. I believe in God, the Father Almighty,creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Chri…

In Genesis, the first couple chapters of the Pentateuch, we read a chronicle of the beginnings: Earth; Man; Woman; Creation of all things. We read of perfection and Goodness. In stark contrast to the previous two chapters,Genesis three appears, an intentional eye popping account of failure, shame and dismissal. Genesis two tells us that Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. Chapter three records that the couple was “open eyed” and in the buff. They had listened to a snake and acted in disobedience to their Maker. The Genesis story tells us about the moment humans first realized they were naked, quickly followed by the moment they were first ashamed. Suffice to say shame doesn’t originate from God’s voice. It originates from voices who errantly say they are speaking for God. Shame, according to Brene Brown, is defined as ‘the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging – something we’ve experienced, done, or failed…

From what I read in the Scriptures, it appears that Jesus hung out with a bunch of seemingly ungodly individuals. By today’s standards, He wasn’t very PC [1] He dug all the wrong ppl. Like: An infamous tax collector - what the locals call ‘a sinner’The all too referenced adulteress,The physically ill,Known criminals, The dead,A trouble maker &terrorist of the early churchAnd people like me. Christ’s choice of associates wasn’t for the faint of heart or to pass the time while He was about His ministry. It’s very important to understand what Jesus was up to when he “hung” with the apparent undesirables - otherwise His motives and actions can too easily get blown out of proportion & misused. By hanging out with the objectionable, Jesus shows us His great capacity for purposeful affection and verifiable tenderness. He redefined what it meant to be of value. The incarnate Word of God was incredibly intentional. All of His actions were like a strategic, well managed crusade of manifes…

The knock-knock joke has been a staple of American humor since the early 20th century. With its repetitive set-up and wordplay punchline, the silliness of this writing has been penned and told and {mis}understood, by people of all ages and sensibilities. But knock-knock jokes have not always been universally appreciated. Early on literary critics railed against them, but somehow (knock on wood) these witless jokes have endured. On a more serious note — knock-knock:“…Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends…” [1] In this text from the Book of Revelation, Jesus is knocking. He’s been at this knocking for s…

In the Bible texts there are stories of two gardens, Eden and Gethsemane.

In the first, Adam took a fall.

In the second, Jesus took a stand.

The Fall Heaven and Earth are not far apart, nearer to one another than maybe we think. Could they even overlap? Is it plausible — maybe they intersect?Ancient Celtic Christians called these “thin places.” A place in which the physical and spiritual worlds are knit together. I wonder if the The Garden of Eden was such a place? Eden was where man was at home, in a thin place he walked between both heaven and earth — enjoying the earthly garden and roaming with the heavenly Gardener. But then the Fall… The Stand To walk again with God in the garden is the great desire of humanity, but it required rehabilitation — Jesus taking a stand in the Garden of Gethsemane to repair a fractured world. Tikkun Olamis primarily a Jewish concept, but it is a concept that Christians should be familiar with & embrace. In Ecclesiastes the writer said, “Consider what G…

Character AssassinationIn June 1638, in Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, a crowd gathers to witness the punishment of Hester Prynne, a young woman who has given birth to a baby of unknown parentage. As an apparent adulteress, she’s required to wear a scarlet "A" on her dress when she is in front of the townspeople to shame her, to continue to assassinate her character. What Is Character?Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.[2] Merriam-Webster defines character, in part, as “moral excellence and firmness.” To Webster’s definition I might add that my word and my promise, even my friendship are all part of me, making up my ethos. Character is a word most ppl desire to have credited to them - yet the standards and achievement are becoming rather vague in our modern age. Being of ‘good character’ is not as popular of a description, as it once was. Assassination. Toxic people will try and destroy those who are and think differently t…

Could something as astounding as our DNA have come from anywhere else but a loving Creator? More and more often I’m seeing articles and advertisements pop-up, which encourage genetic testing.The craze to know the secrets held by our DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) seems to be increasing rapidly. So is telomere testing. Telomere health is intriguing. Telomeres are the section of DNA base, paired at the end of the chromosome, they function as a disposable buffers. Telomeres serve to protect the ends of chromosomes from sticking to each other, while protecting genetic information during cell division. Apparently, a short piece of each chromosome is lost every time DNA is replicated. If it were not for telomeres, important genetic information needed to sustain the cell’s activity might vanish. While I find telomere testing fascinating, I’m not ready to dive in yet, but more and more ppl I come across are collecting their dribble or swabbing their cheeks and sending their tube off in a seal…

I’ve been getting a little guff recently, all but accused of having a one-track mind - my Messages, Sunday Thoughts and Blog Posts have an all too common theme, LOVE: Jesus (quoting Scripture):“Love the Eternal One your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second[commandment]is nearly as important, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Maybe my seemingly one track mind can be explained because I’m aging; Or feeling a bit more sentimental. Possibly I’m drawn to the rhythms of love because of what I see and experience in our society. I could blame it on the rain or the fact I grew up in the 60’s. Regardless . . . If I asked you to describe how you knew you were in love, how would you reply? Maybe you know you are in love because you are: Being Comfortable & Vulnerable with someone;Sharing Intimate Details Of Your Life with that special person;Taking Their Opinions Into Consideration, not just your own;Feeling Comm…

From the church where I had my spiritual awakening, while in seminary, and in the churches where I’ve pastored, I’ve heard and uttered the words: ‘God Said’ I have to confess, the few times I spilled those two words, those seven letters, I felt pretty spiritual. Pretty special. I also recall hearing other ministers, men in leadership pronouncing, ‘God Said’ And with that phrase all questions were shut down. Discussions ceased. No one is allowed to engage, because of with that statement. After all, who wants to argue with God? But that’s exactly why saying ‘God Said’ can be so dangerous, it's a discussion ender. Let’s be honest with ourselves, often, ‘God Said’ is just hyper-spiritual code for: “I want to” but with a slick spiritual veneer. I’ve repented of the misuse of this brief but caustic phrase. And I encourage my colleagues and readers of this article to consider the potential harm that follows its use, or the culture that allows it. Does God work through our desires? Does He …

What does God want to add to your story that wasn’t there before? A Story. There was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come … The Holy Spirit was upon him …the Spirit led Simeon to the Temple. There he saw Mary and Joseph who came to present the baby Jesus, as the law required. Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God, and prophesied saying:‘I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people.’ Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. Simeon blessed them and added ‘This child is destined … but many will oppose him.’ Regardless, ‘the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed’ because of him. Let the description and attributes of Simeon sink in for a minute. He was a just and pious man, patient yet full of anticipation; He was led by and in touch with the Holy Spirt. He shared truths: “In the end he (the Christ) will lay bare the secret thoughts of many hearts” After God …

Prayer. I pray. I like to pray. Prayer has moved hills and mountains in my life. So I continue to pray as if I know for an absolute fact that the one to whom I'm praying can: Do anything but wrong; Create something huge out of literally nothing;Ignite the universe with the sound of His voice;Feed 5000 with 5 loaves & 2 fish of some unnamed little kid...#pkes#MinistryinMotion #MetroLifeChurch

The Christian life is not just about a personal relationship with God, even if personal faith and responsibility are absolutely necessary. When too much emphasis is placed on a privatize salvation, we run the potential of getting so much wrong.

Avoid the draw to escape church citizenry. Becoming a disciple of Christ was never meant to be a solo expedition. Doing so means we expose ourselves to totally missing the opportunity to see the Eternal and His Holy Spirit in action: in real communities, in actual churches, in non-partisan politics, in obvious differences, in honest-to-goodness marriages, in authentic social discussions and during hard theological disagreements. You can't go it alone. Following Jesus shouldn’t be about intellectual assent, but rather it's communal activity, where-by we help ensure we don’t run the risk of missingthe Word who came to dwell among us. Consider that believing in Jesus and being mentored by the Holy Ghost is largely a group activity, albeit a…

Are you holding a close secret? Are you mum on something you're not supposed to tell anyone? If you’re like many folks I’ve met, you’re holding ‘something or other’ pretty close to your vest. And in doing so, as SNL’s Mike Myers would say: “Oh, I'm getting a little verklempt (farklempt). Most stuff is worth sharing, especially with the right person. While sharing personal “stuff” might seem like an invasion of privacy, it’s so worth the “vulnerability hangover”It’s worth being misunderstood and misrepresented. There’s desirability in discomfort. It's worth the death of your self-image and maybe even your brand. There’s benefit to owning up to what’s inside, no matter how difficult, because as the Psalmist wrote: Hidden things will always come out into the open. Secret things will come to light and be exposed.[1] Secrets bring bondage, sharing brings freedom. Freedom. Here’s what happens when you finally drop the act, when you finally admit that you're not fine, when you …

“..Like a sheep to a shearing, like a lamb to be slaughtered, he went—oh so quietly, oh so willingly..”The crucifixion of Christ, the awful marriage of human sinfulness and the pinnacle of divine grace, must remain an enduring mystery, a mystery of my faith — Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. Good Friday calls on me to take another look, to remember, His death. ~Selah~ So in my exuberance to treasure all the beauty that is Easter, I must be careful not to scurry past Good Friday. Easter alone does not make Christianity unique. It’s Good Friday, coupled with Easter, where we find the uniqueness of Christianity. As you contemplate the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus, I pray that God will reveal his unfathomable love for you in new ways. May you know the love of the one who gave his life for you…#Pkes #MinMChurch #MetroLifeChurch